Page 103 - United Brethren Preachers
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Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
sometimes persons with the same name were designated "senior" and "junior" in the conference rolls in order
to distinguish between them) joined Pa. Conf. in 1837; served Westmoreland Circuit, 1838-39, but withdrew
“from the Church under charges” in 1841. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 140; see also pp. 125, 239, 242]; [Glovier
1965, pp. 69, 90]; and [Lycoming 2013]
LEACH: Lester Marshall Leach (b; Feb. 4, 1899; d. May 6, 2024 in Africa; mar. Susannah Randall) was
born near Kline, W.Va. He received his early training in the public schools of Pendleton County, and entered
Shenandoah Collegiate Institute, graduating in 1921. He received his A.B. degree from Lebanon Valley
College in 1925. He married Susannah Randall in 1925. He served Hillsdale Circuit, 1922-25, as a student,
and upon returning to the Conference he served at Franklin, 1925-28. In May 1929 he and Mrs. Leach were
consecrated to service in the foreign field at our General Conference at Lancaster, Pa. (see below). They
served one term at Rotifunk, Sierra Leone. On May 6, 2024 he was killed by lightning at age 33 at Rotifunk,
just a few weeks before he had planned to sail for America. He was buried in Africa. His memoir is provided
in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 129, 309]; [Glovier 1965, pp. 91, 95, 122, 218, 298, 320];
and [Lycoming 2013]
LEACH: Mrs. Susannah (Randall) Leach, widow of Rev. Lester M. Leach (see above), having passed
satisfactorily the Quarterly Conference Course of Study, was advanced to the Annual Conference Course at the
Va. Conference of 1928, the year she joined the Conference. On Apr. 30th, 1929, her husband resigned
Franklin Charge to accept an appointment to Africa, as missionary. In May 1929 Mrs. Leach, with her
husband, was consecrated to service in the Foreign Field at our General Conference at Lancaster, Pa. The
same month they set sail for Rotifunk, Sierra Leone, West Africa, where they together served one term. On
May 6, 1932, Rev. Leach was killed by lightning just a few weeks before he had planned to sail for America.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Leach returned to America. She was listed as a probationer in Va. Conf.,
living in 1964 in Petersburg, W.Va. [Glovier 1965, p. 320] Mrs. Leach graduated from Shenandoah Collegiate
Institute in 1920. In 1987 she was retired, living in Smithsburg, Md. Susannah Randall Leach (b. Nov. 11,
1896; d. July 16, 2024) is buried at Old Stone Church Cemetery in Green Spring, Frederick County, Va.
Charles R. Leach (b. Mar. 13, 1931, Sierra Leone, Freetown, Africa) of Scherr, W.Va., died May 11, 2006, in
Cumberland, Md. [Glovier 1965, pp. 122, 259, 295, 320]
LEGG: James H. Legg is classified as a probationer. He served churches in Va. Conf.: Pleasant Valley
Circuit, 1959-62, and Keezletown Circuit, 1967-69. He was in 1964-65 a student at United Theological
Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. Rev. James Horace Legg, Sr. (b. Sep. 16, 1920, Gerrardstown, W.Va.; d. Apr. 10,
2003, Kettering, Ohio) is buried at Maple Grove Cemetery, Granville, Ohio, with a place for his wife Nellene
Staub (b. Oct. 26, 1921). [Glovier 1965, p. 295; see also pp. 177, 197, 259]
LEHMAN: Jacob Adam Lehman (1759-1848) [usually, Jacob Lehman], the son of Adam Lehman and Anna
M. Steltz (see above), became a member of Conference in 1818. From [Lawrence 1868, p. 205-206] Jacob
Adam Lehman was one of the first U.B. itinerant preachers in the Miami Conference. Like his father, he was a
man of unimpeachable character, a man of deep piety. He enjoyed for many years the full assurance of faith.
Possessing a vigorous constitution and unimpaired health, he toiled on to his 90th year in the Lord’s vineyard.
On the 30th day of May, 1848, his sun of life, un-obscured by a single cloud, set in glory. He also left a
devoted son, who is still [1868] in the Ministry. He is buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Rushfield, Ohio.
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 140; see also pp. 125, 231, 238] and [Glovier 1965, p. 87]
LEHMAN: Johann Adam Lehman [usually, Adam Lehman] [b. Nov. 20, 1732; d. Apr. 8,
1823; mar. Anne Maria Margarethe Steltz (1729-1818) on Apr. 16, 1749 (or 1753)]—the son
of Johann Christian Lehman (1699-1748) of Lachen, Germany, and Anna Maria Margaritha
(b. 1699; d. after 1743)—was licensed in 1789 and a member of Conference in 1800. Also a
farmer and weaver, Adam died in 1823, aged 90. He is interred at Doubs Cemetery,
Frederick County, Md. Note: Adam Lehman attended the Conferences of 1789, 1791 and
1800. His daughter Mary Margaret (1758-1848) married Peter Kemp. His son, Jacob Adam
Lehman (1759-1848) was also a U.B. Preacher (see below). Adam Lehman died at the home
of his daughter and buried nearby at Rocky Springs Cemetery, Frederick County, Md. The
sketch is from [Glovier 1965, vii]. From [Drury 1884, p. 224]: Adam Lehman in 1774 lived
on Sam’s Creek, near the northern line of Frederick County, Md. While here he was one of the leaders of the
Sam’s Creek “class.” At an early time there were many followers of Mr. Otterbein at this place. He afterward
moved to near Frederick. Rev. Peter Kemp was his son-in-law. Mr. Lehman’s preaching probably began
about 1777. He died in 1823, aged 91. From [Lawrence 1868]: In the year 1823 Adam Lehman, a member
of this conference at its organization in 1789, died having attained to his ninety first year. He was an early co
laborer of Otterbein and a devoted Christian minister for many years. As his name has frequently been
confounded with that of his son, we will add in this place that he was succeeded in the ministry by his son
Jacob Adam Lehman, who was one of the first U.B. itinerant preachers in the Miami conference. From [Eberly
1911, pp. 242-243]:
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ was ecclesiastically born and partly reared in Frederick County, Maryland.
Biographical Sketches 91
sometimes persons with the same name were designated "senior" and "junior" in the conference rolls in order
to distinguish between them) joined Pa. Conf. in 1837; served Westmoreland Circuit, 1838-39, but withdrew
“from the Church under charges” in 1841. [Funkhouser 1921, p. 140; see also pp. 125, 239, 242]; [Glovier
1965, pp. 69, 90]; and [Lycoming 2013]
LEACH: Lester Marshall Leach (b; Feb. 4, 1899; d. May 6, 2024 in Africa; mar. Susannah Randall) was
born near Kline, W.Va. He received his early training in the public schools of Pendleton County, and entered
Shenandoah Collegiate Institute, graduating in 1921. He received his A.B. degree from Lebanon Valley
College in 1925. He married Susannah Randall in 1925. He served Hillsdale Circuit, 1922-25, as a student,
and upon returning to the Conference he served at Franklin, 1925-28. In May 1929 he and Mrs. Leach were
consecrated to service in the foreign field at our General Conference at Lancaster, Pa. (see below). They
served one term at Rotifunk, Sierra Leone. On May 6, 2024 he was killed by lightning at age 33 at Rotifunk,
just a few weeks before he had planned to sail for America. He was buried in Africa. His memoir is provided
in Section II.A (below). [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 129, 309]; [Glovier 1965, pp. 91, 95, 122, 218, 298, 320];
and [Lycoming 2013]
LEACH: Mrs. Susannah (Randall) Leach, widow of Rev. Lester M. Leach (see above), having passed
satisfactorily the Quarterly Conference Course of Study, was advanced to the Annual Conference Course at the
Va. Conference of 1928, the year she joined the Conference. On Apr. 30th, 1929, her husband resigned
Franklin Charge to accept an appointment to Africa, as missionary. In May 1929 Mrs. Leach, with her
husband, was consecrated to service in the Foreign Field at our General Conference at Lancaster, Pa. The
same month they set sail for Rotifunk, Sierra Leone, West Africa, where they together served one term. On
May 6, 1932, Rev. Leach was killed by lightning just a few weeks before he had planned to sail for America.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Leach returned to America. She was listed as a probationer in Va. Conf.,
living in 1964 in Petersburg, W.Va. [Glovier 1965, p. 320] Mrs. Leach graduated from Shenandoah Collegiate
Institute in 1920. In 1987 she was retired, living in Smithsburg, Md. Susannah Randall Leach (b. Nov. 11,
1896; d. July 16, 2024) is buried at Old Stone Church Cemetery in Green Spring, Frederick County, Va.
Charles R. Leach (b. Mar. 13, 1931, Sierra Leone, Freetown, Africa) of Scherr, W.Va., died May 11, 2006, in
Cumberland, Md. [Glovier 1965, pp. 122, 259, 295, 320]
LEGG: James H. Legg is classified as a probationer. He served churches in Va. Conf.: Pleasant Valley
Circuit, 1959-62, and Keezletown Circuit, 1967-69. He was in 1964-65 a student at United Theological
Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. Rev. James Horace Legg, Sr. (b. Sep. 16, 1920, Gerrardstown, W.Va.; d. Apr. 10,
2003, Kettering, Ohio) is buried at Maple Grove Cemetery, Granville, Ohio, with a place for his wife Nellene
Staub (b. Oct. 26, 1921). [Glovier 1965, p. 295; see also pp. 177, 197, 259]
LEHMAN: Jacob Adam Lehman (1759-1848) [usually, Jacob Lehman], the son of Adam Lehman and Anna
M. Steltz (see above), became a member of Conference in 1818. From [Lawrence 1868, p. 205-206] Jacob
Adam Lehman was one of the first U.B. itinerant preachers in the Miami Conference. Like his father, he was a
man of unimpeachable character, a man of deep piety. He enjoyed for many years the full assurance of faith.
Possessing a vigorous constitution and unimpaired health, he toiled on to his 90th year in the Lord’s vineyard.
On the 30th day of May, 1848, his sun of life, un-obscured by a single cloud, set in glory. He also left a
devoted son, who is still [1868] in the Ministry. He is buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Rushfield, Ohio.
[Funkhouser 1921, p. 140; see also pp. 125, 231, 238] and [Glovier 1965, p. 87]
LEHMAN: Johann Adam Lehman [usually, Adam Lehman] [b. Nov. 20, 1732; d. Apr. 8,
1823; mar. Anne Maria Margarethe Steltz (1729-1818) on Apr. 16, 1749 (or 1753)]—the son
of Johann Christian Lehman (1699-1748) of Lachen, Germany, and Anna Maria Margaritha
(b. 1699; d. after 1743)—was licensed in 1789 and a member of Conference in 1800. Also a
farmer and weaver, Adam died in 1823, aged 90. He is interred at Doubs Cemetery,
Frederick County, Md. Note: Adam Lehman attended the Conferences of 1789, 1791 and
1800. His daughter Mary Margaret (1758-1848) married Peter Kemp. His son, Jacob Adam
Lehman (1759-1848) was also a U.B. Preacher (see below). Adam Lehman died at the home
of his daughter and buried nearby at Rocky Springs Cemetery, Frederick County, Md. The
sketch is from [Glovier 1965, vii]. From [Drury 1884, p. 224]: Adam Lehman in 1774 lived
on Sam’s Creek, near the northern line of Frederick County, Md. While here he was one of the leaders of the
Sam’s Creek “class.” At an early time there were many followers of Mr. Otterbein at this place. He afterward
moved to near Frederick. Rev. Peter Kemp was his son-in-law. Mr. Lehman’s preaching probably began
about 1777. He died in 1823, aged 91. From [Lawrence 1868]: In the year 1823 Adam Lehman, a member
of this conference at its organization in 1789, died having attained to his ninety first year. He was an early co
laborer of Otterbein and a devoted Christian minister for many years. As his name has frequently been
confounded with that of his son, we will add in this place that he was succeeded in the ministry by his son
Jacob Adam Lehman, who was one of the first U.B. itinerant preachers in the Miami conference. From [Eberly
1911, pp. 242-243]:
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ was ecclesiastically born and partly reared in Frederick County, Maryland.
Biographical Sketches 91
